<p>i got accepted to both! But I'm having a hard time to decide which school to go to. I'm going as undecided so yeah.</p>
<p>I keep hearing Albany is "boring, there's not much student interaction (compared to Bing), blah blah blah." Can anyone clear this rumor up? Is it true? What kind of things go on in Albany?</p>
<p>Now I keep hearing good things about Bing, (might be because it's ranked academically higher) who knows..</p>
<p>So yeah can people give me some advice, I'm more interested in student life in both schools...I'm pretty much brought my decision down to these two schools.</p>
<p>o mannn i would say NO WAY to albany, hands down. lets see looking in my Princeton review book of the 361 best colleges UAlbany makes the following lists- #1 worst school for teacher availability, #17 worst financial aid, #10 worst smoothly run school, #9 for least happy students, #5 worst for food, #8 "dorms like dungeons" i'd say they are the most reoccurring school on the negative lists. on the other hand i have 2 friends that go to bing and love it</p>
<p>i also live in the capital district (suburb of schenectady) and its not too exciting</p>
<p>I know people from both schools. All liked Binghamton, or at the least thought it was okay. I've never heard anything good said about Albany. I know two people that got kicked out or dropped out (not sure) of Albany because they didn't know how to balance partying & studying. :P</p>
<p>Bing is great, I know two people who are going there now, and one who may go there next year, and all three love it. Haven't heard anything good about Albany, it's kind of the school people go to because it's close to home and is cheaper due to scholarships.</p>
<p>I have no personal experience with Binghamton, but I do know a few people who visited, and a few more who went, who love it there. I also know a few people who visited and crossed it off "the list", and a few more who went and regretted it. UAlbany...I took a course at Albany once, and though it's definitely no spectacular show, it's not as bad as the Princeton Review book makes it out to be - after all, it's all in comparison to the "Best 361."</p>
<p>I can definitely assure you that the campus is hideously designed, though. New York bought a cheap, secondhand design that was originally made to channel wind and circulate air for an Arizona-based school, and the result is a concrete behemoth that's absolutely freezing in the winter. Also, while I was there, they were renovating a building because of asbestos problems. The food is also terrible. It's not completely devoid of student interaction; there are a good number of clubs and a few performances that go on every once in a while, but nothing super special happens.</p>
<p>I wouldn't really trust student review sites. Most of the time when people go to those sites its to complain. Just as when people give feedback to companies and restaurants its usually the negative they point out and not the good.</p>
<p>Visit them both and see what gut feeling you get when you go there.</p>
<p>I know someone who lived in Albany and they hated it, they said there was absolutely nothing to do. I've been to Binghamton and it doesn't seem like theres much to do there, and if Albany has even less to do then Binghamton (aside partying, I guess) I can't imagine what its like ;P Again, I've never been to Albany myself so its all hearsay, really, and people always seem to say they hate where they live, but yeah.</p>
<p>in regards to the Princeton book, there are just as many positive lists as negative ones and it seems to do a good job honestly evaluating each school.</p>
<p>Princeton review rankings are based on surveys, they don't look into UAlbany's financial aid or go into a UAlbany classroom, I'd say it's a hit or miss. I don't really get where everyone gets the idea that there's nothing to do at UAlbany, maybe if you don't party, but even then there's a lot of music venues.</p>
<p>I've visited both - Bing is almost certainly the best school in the SUNY system with top notch academics (for a SUNY at least) and great students.
Bing is also a fairly chill town. Albany is definitely inferior academically and the city itself is pretty dull, the only thing it has going for it is that its the capital. I've heard the on-campus party scene can be pretty crazy though.</p>
<p>I go to UA, and it really is better than people give it credit for. The campus may be ugly (too much concrete; it's depressing), but overall it's a good place to be. It was never my first choice school (I never even applied there in HS; I just transferred in the fall for reasons I'd prefer not to explain) but I have learned to love it.</p>
<p>There are obviously people who party more than study (and compared to bing, probably a lot more percentage wise), but there are students who do care about academics, do their work, and do well. Certain profs are AWFUL, and others are amazing, but that's really the luck of the draw, and I'm sure there are terrible ones at bing as well. </p>
<p>The nightlife is good and the parties are great. You don't even really need a fake ID because older friends can buy you liquor, and bars let you in with chalked ids. I even forgot to chalk mine once, and the bouncer told me to chalk it and come back in lol. There are some good concert venues around, and even across the river in troy, if you're not a bar person.</p>
<p>I'll admit, the dining hall food is nothing to write home about, but they do have good stuff in the campus center. </p>
<p>ummmm I can't think of what else to write...feel free to ask me more specific questions you may have</p>
<p>I'm not really sure what you mean by UA not having much student interaction; maybe if you explain that better, I'll give my viewpoint/observations on it.</p>
<p>Not that this would make me want to attend a school, but wasnt SUNY Albany rated as one of the top party schools in the country? They also don't have bad basketball - they made the Tourney this year.</p>
<p>Grrr! All this hating on UA!
Bing is known as the most boring SUNY, second to Geneseo. The academics are better there, for sure, but anyone who says there's nothing to do in Albany/the student interaction is lacking has NEVER visited. There's a TON to do, for partiers and non partiers, and there's activities every day of the week. PM me with more questions!</p>
<p>Did you apply to UB, UB is actually in my opinion the top suny school even thogh rankings don't say so, It is continually getting better and the school itself gets over 60% of the entire suny budget. Im a transfer from Binghamton to UB and I bloody love it.</p>
<p>Im a engineering student and UB has the best Engineering program in SUNY. Binghamton and stony brook are behind, as for Binghamton being the best. I attended there and its quite poor compared to UB. Really really easy</p>